Sony reveals QX10 and QX100 camera modules for smartphones

Sony has announced a pair of mobile photography camera/lens modules, the QX10 and QX100. Both units are essentially self-contained cameras that can be controlled by smartphones, using Wi-Fi. The QX10 ($250/£179/€199) features a standard compact-camera 1/2.3" sensor and a 25-250mm equivalent zoom lens. The QX100 ($500/£399/€449) uses the 1" sensor and 28-100mm equivalent zoom used in its high-end RX100 II compact. Both are NFC-compliant to make connection to some smartphones even easier.

Although designed primarily for use with smartphones, both modules include their own batteries, memory card slots, zoom controls and shutter buttons, allowing their use remotely from (or entirely unconnected to) a phone.

What does this mean for mobile photography? Check out the links below to read connect.dpreview.com's take on the QX concept, and also a first impressions piece covering both modules and an in-depth look at the higher-end QX100 model.

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2013 – Merging the creative power of a premium compact camera with the convenience and connectivity of today’s smartphones, Sony today introduced two “lens-style” QX series cameras that bring new levels of fun and creativity to the mobile photography experience.

The innovative Cyber-shot® QX100 and QX10 models utilize Wi-Fi® connectivity to instantly transform a connected smartphone into a versatile, powerful photographic tool, allowing it to shoot high-quality images and HD videos to rival a premium compact camera. It’s an entirely new and different way for consumers to capture and share memories with friends and family.

With a distinct lens-style shape, the new cameras utilize the latest version of Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile™ application (available for iOS™ and Android™ devices, version 3.1 or higher required) to connect wirelessly to a smartphone, converting the bright, large LCD screen of the phone into a real-time viewfinder with the ability to release the shutter, start/stop movie recordings, and adjust common photographic settings like shooting mode, zoom, Auto Focus area and more.

For added convenience, the app can be activated using NFC one-touch with compatible devices. Once pictures are taken, they are saved directly on both the phone and the camera*, and can be shared instantly via social media or other common mobile applications.

“With the new QX100 and QX10 cameras, we are making it easier for the ever-growing population of ‘mobile photographers’ to capture far superior, higher-quality content without sacrificing the convenience and accessibility of their existing mobile network or the familiar ‘phone-style’ shooting experience that they’ve grown accustomed to,” said Patrick Huang, director of the Cyber-shot business at Sony. “We feel that these new products represent not only an evolution for the digital camera business, but a revolution in terms of redefining how cameras and smartphones can cooperatively flourish in today’s market.”

The new compact, ultra-portable cameras can be attached to a connected phone with a supplied mechanically adjustable adapter, or can be held separately in hand or even mounted to a tripod while still maintaining all functionality and connectivity with the smartphone. They can also be operated as completely independent cameras if desired, as both the QX100 and QX10 cameras have a shutter release, memory card slot and come with a rechargeable battery.

Premium, Large-Sensor QX100 Camera

The Cyber-shot QX100 camera features a premium, high-quality 1.0 inch, 20.2 MP Exmor® RCMOS sensor. Identical to the sensor found in the acclaimed Cyber-shot RX100 II camera, it allows for exceptionally detailed, ultra-low noise images in all types of lighting conditions, including dimly lit indoor and night scenes.

The sensor is paired with a fast, wide-aperture Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 3.6x optical zoom and a powerful BIONZ® image processor, ensuring beautifully natural, detail-packed still images and HD videos. As an extra refinement, the QX100 sports a dedicated control ring for camera-like adjustment of manual focus and zoom.

Several different shooting modes can be selected while using the QX100 including Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Intelligent Auto and Superior Auto, which automatically recognizes 44 different shooting conditions and adjusts camera settings to suit.

Additionally, the camera has built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization to combat camera shake, keeping handheld pictures and videos steady and blur-free. It has Program Auto, Intelligent Auto and Superior Auto modes to choose from, and will be available in two different colors – black and white.

Pricing and Availability

The new Cyber-shot QX100 and QX10 lens-style cameras will available later this month for about $500 and $250, respectively.

The cameras and a range of compatible accessories including a soft carry case and dedicated camera attachment for Sony Mobile phones like the Xperia™ Z can be purchased at Sony retail stores (www.store.sony.com) and other authorized dealers nationwide.

Please visit www.blog.sony.com for a full video preview of the new Sony Cyber-shot QX Series cameras and follow #SonyCamera on Twitter for the latest camera news.

This is what I am looking for and I actually mentioned about this in my Lumia 1020 post last week. But sadly, the dimension is 2.46 x 2.46 x 2.19″ (this is not much different than carry a thinner RX100 or WX300) and the cost saving is not much. Still a great step in the right direction. Sony can probably reduce the cost by another 30% by piggy back on the camera battery but that will become a proprietary design.

Give either of these a way to power-up externally and an app to remotely connect to something other than a mobile device and I'd buy one or three. The compactness, relatively low price and wireless transmission has numerous applications in wildlife photography, multiple camera video capture, scientific work etc etc.

This is clearly aimed at someone who thinks their smartphone's built-in camera isn't good enough, yet they don't want the hassle of bringing along a compact camera as well as their omnipresent phone. I think it has good market potential and I wouldn't mind seeing more camera manufacturers getting in on this idea to give us a better choice of smartphone camera modules.

Now. If only the QX100 (and the RX-100 for that matter) had a more sensible 10 megapixels - it can't resolve any more detail than that anyway, so the extra megapixels only serve to reduce dynamic range and increase noise. I can't speak for the QX10 from experience, but 18 megapixels in a 1/2.3" is way to much.

I've never felt the RX100 lens lacking in any way to match the 20MP sensor. At 1:1, RX100 pictures look much sharper than what I get on the 24MP D7100 with any of 35mm f/1.8G Nikkor or 16-85mm VR Nikkor or 55-300mm VR Nikkor.

@Roland Karlsson,What myth ? Bigger photosites have better S/N ratio and wider dynamic. This is physics. Personally, I just find myself more often struggling in low light or with high-contrast scenes than in the need of cropping/enlarging (what you call digital zooming) a picture. My choice is clear : big photosites ! But if you mainly shoot outdoor at noon with a "flat" light and an ultra-compact camera/smartphone with no zoom, then high megapixel count may help, I agree. Just buy the camera YOU need and, please, let others decide what they need...

I love the "I only shoot raw" people, as if it's a religion. It's a camera phone basically, how much DR are you really pulling? Can you ever just take a pic and work with what a jpeg gives you? Sheesh.

Right there are good jpegs, Fuji, Olympus, the Nikon D3s. But raw still gives you a lot more room to play. And many Android phones take extra SD cards, Blackberry’s too.

SDF:

Ever notice that most Samsung Android 4 smartphones have card slots? The microSD cards that can be inserted into said slots can be used to store raw picture files.

Roland K:

Raw for smaller sensors helps a great deal with colour, white balance and exposure–not so much noise. So basically what you posit is only true in a very limited sense. And the RX100 has a much bigger sensor..

I agree. I'd go for a fixed 14mm eFOV f/2.8 or 24mm eFOV f/1.8 version. This would be great for getting into hard-to-reach or dangerous places where I typically want to go with a wide angle lens. (eFOV = equivalent 35mm field of view)

And for this money I would have expected FF. And just what sort of video are they giving us? They are completely ignoring pros and advanced amateurs. I predict their exit from the camera business anytime. :)

Out of interest, do you think Sony is the first to do this? I'm getting the impression that a lot of people do.

I think this might be one of those 'Google was the first search engine' or 'the iPhone was the 1st touch screen phone' moments - i.e. Sony aren't the first to do it, but might be the first to do it well and really capture the public's imagination.

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